We all know that hashtags are extremely important to help your Instagram content rank and get possible to be found. There are whole courses about finding the right ones for you, which is why we’re discussing keyword strategy so often – it’s a vast topic, definitely deserving much attention. But what about reels? Should you treat them as any other content type? Do hashtags play such a crucial part in making them more discoverable as well?
If you’re looking for answers, you’re lucky because we’ve gott ’em.
Instagram wants reels to get more and more loved by the platforms’ users, so to make them more visible, they give reels a boost in organic reach. How generous, right? We miss it with other post types! But, what can turn out to be even more beneficial is the fact that the Instagram explore feed displays reels at the top of the feed.
So do you still need hashtags? Oh yes. The people who watch reels are mainly looking for a variety of short, entertaining content – so give them what they want. The risk is too high: there’s a risk they won’t find your reels on their own without your help. When you use relevant, targeted hashtags on your Instagram reels, they can easily be explored by your potential followers. Sure, they might not end up clicking the follow button at first, but they’ll watch your video posts, so they’re more likely to remember your face and feel the urge to get some more! The more views and engagement you get, the more Instagram algorithms like you. It will basically show Instagram that your content is enjoyable, which pushes the Instagram algorithm to show your content to even more users.
Sounds promising, huh? That’s why today we’ll discuss in detail:
- Why should you describe your reels with hashtags?
- How do you add hashtags to reels?
- What hashtags are suitable for reels?
- How do you make a reel go viral?
Maybe you’re up to your eyeballs in hashtag research for your reels, but you’re still not any clearer on why you should use them. Worry not, our friend. We’ve got some tips for you – so easy peasy, we’ll tell you everything you need to know!
Instagram recently added a separate reels tab to the hashtag search explore page, which is the clearest sign that hashtags for reels can be really effective and are meant to be used!
Instagram gives an organic boost to reels creators, which can easily lead to the stellar growth of your stats. Many of you have seen it for yourselves – entertaining reels can instantly gain a surprising number of views, so it can be a huge chance to grow if you implement the right strategies, of course. Which ones? Today we’ll discuss some of them, but because this topic is really golden, we’re going to prepare many Reels Lessons to make everything as intuitive as possible! So if you’re a bit frustrated about which hashtags you should choose to make your reels more popular and how to make the power of these reels hashtags work in your favor, keep on reading! We’ll be sharing our secret-sauce hashtag ideas for reels and research strategies. Let’s go!
Always make sure to add only relevant hashtags to your reels that indeed correspond to your video’s content – that’s rule number one.
Observe what your competitors are choosing and what your ideal audience is looking for – that’s the most basic but always smart option. Always try to identify hashtags that your target followers are actually searching for. You can also try research tools to find new, relevant hashtags and save your time. If you don’t already know, we recommend using IQ Hashtags for all things Instagram hashtag research. One feature you can always take advantage of when diving into strategic hashtag research is the hashtag suggestion feature, called Hashtag Search. This feature allows you to type in a hashtag, and it will provide you with a list of other related hashtags you can use right away.
We also recommend using the search function directly within the Instagram app – that’s a practical source of inspiration as well? Type in a hashtag relevant to your niche, and you will get fresh suggestions on hashtags related to this given one.
When you spot a hashtag that sounds good to you, looks promising, and you really like it, stop for a while and look at the top posts for that particular hashtag to analyze why other creators have utilized it. Is it remarkably relevant to your content? If so, don’t hesitate to note it down and use it! Then track your analytics and adjust your hashtag research accordingly!
Do reels need captions?
That’s an excellent question! Should you take time to come up with creative captions for your IG reels?
Yes – that’s a highly underrated method to gain better exposure! Sure, most reels consumers will scroll through thousands of different reels, without any longer conscious stopping. But if your reels have an engaging, surprisingly clever caption to go with it, guess what? There are chances you’ll make someone intrigued, and what’s even better, it could be a high-quality potential follower from your target audience. A smartly written caption is the copy that goes with the content you have in your video. It should make someone laugh, feel inspired, or simply be good food for thought. Captions have the power to make your potential followers feel certain ways, and you can easily communicate your personality and values to attract them. If your caption is really catchy, many users might save it, and that boosts your reach. The more engagement you get, the more your reels will be pushed by the Instagram algorithms. So, yes, it’s definitely worth it to take your time to come up with a creative caption!
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